The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972, April 18, 1915, Page 37, Image 37

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    PLANS FOR FEEDING PARIS EXPLAINED
VIENNA'S MAYOR CRITICISES HUNGARY
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FRENCH GOVERNMENT EXPLAINS PLANS THAT
WERE TO KEEP PARIS
GERMANS SUCCEEDED IN INVESTING CAPITAL
When Teutons Began Their March Last August Elab
orate Arrangements Were Made for Feeding Three
Million Mouths Within Circle of Fortifications,
By Henry Wood.
(L'nited trw ..tff Orrpponirit.)
Paris, April . (By Mail to New
Tork.) "Had the Germans last fall
really besieged Paris and bad the siege
continued until today, would the gay
.Parisians now be suffering from lack
of food?" 4
This Is the question which has just
Ijeen asked the French government, and
It has promptly replied, "Not on your
life,", or words to that effect. ,
Now that Paris really Isn't in danger,
the government has just consented to
explain In full all of the excellent
preparations that were made for feed
ing the city. In fact there la more
than a faint suspicion that France
really sought the occasion of telling
how much better she would have eaten
than Germany Is eating now.
Deputy Adrien Dariac, chairman of
the committee on agriculture in he
chamber- of deputies, is the man who
was chosen by the government to tell
how it would have been done. And he
has. left no detail unexplained.
Prepared for a Siege.
When the Germans last August be
gan their sudden march on Paris all of
the machinery which had previously
been arranged to prepare for the feed
ing of the 3,000,000 mouths of Paris
in the event of a siege was at once
put into motion. The operation of this
machinery involved no less than 8500
men under the direction of 800 di
rectors. Four grrand divisions of the work
were at once established. The first one
was known as "the service for the ex
ploitation of resources available. This
department at once proceeded to an In
ventory of all the food supplies to be
found within the entrenched camp,
which included not only Paris, but the
Seine, the Seine-et-Oise and a portion
of Seine-et-Marne.
The second division, "the service of
warehouses and markets," was charged
with dividing up all the arrivals of
food supplies and supervising the 65
stations and ports at which food sup
plies could arrive. It also had the task
of taking care of the herd of 100,000
ffteers, 80.000 sheep, 40,000 hogs and
'2500 milch c'ows which were to be
maintained within the entrenched
camp. The details allotted to this de
partment included even the daily pas
teurization of the milk from. the 2500
cows.
Zood Factories Kept Busy.
The third division, "the service of
mills, manufactories and cold storage
plants," had among its other duties
that of keeping 40 flour mills and 30
food -factories in coristant operation.
The fourth division, "the service of
manufacture and preservation," occu
pied itself chiefly with the operation
-of 40 factories for the curing of meat
and the preparation of fruit preserves.
Although the failure of the Germans
to besiege Paris relieved this elaborate
organization of most of the duties as
signed to it, nevertheless a portion of
It has been continually at work up to
"the present moment. Especially has
this been the case with the division
charged not only with keeping up an
adequate bread supply, but also -with
keeping it down to normal prices.
Bread Prices Xept Down.
This has been accomplished largely by
the. government buying the wheat andai
selling it to the millers at a fixed price
with the agreement that they In turn
sell the flonr to the bakers at an estab
lished price. On the average, the gov
ernment gave the millers the wheat at
from $5.60 to 95.80 per 200 weight and
the' millers were obliged to turn over
the flour to the bakers at $13.60 for
300 pounds.
During the first four months of the
war, of the 1,800,000 pounds of wheat
ground by the millers, about one-half
of it was sold them by the govern
ment, while the other half was bought
by tnem on the pen market. In no
case, however,- were they tallowed to
charge more for the flour than the
price fixed by the govern Went, and as
a result bread in Paris is still at nor
mal prices, Not only is this so, but
the government insists, that with all
f the above machinery and . organiza
tion, faris, in spite of a sleae of what.
"ever length, would still be enjoying and
always would enjoy all the bread it
seeded at' peace, times prices.
' Booster's Instinct Developed.
-d The war has developed to a most un
usual degree at Paris the "booster's"
Instinct, common to every American
city and every American business
man's club. France is determined to
how the world that she not only can
'WRvw,. , . ...
PEOPLE FED HAD THE
live without Germany, but that every
thing produced at home is Just as good
if not abetter than the "Made in Ger
many" brand.
The latest outlet of this awakening
in France is the determination to de
velop French places to a degree that
will supplant those of Germany. Wies
baden, Ems, Baden-Baden, Karlbad
and Marienbad are to give way to
Evian-les-Bains, Vichy, Aix-les-bains
and a score of similar places in France.
In the past 60,000 Russians alone
have annually visited the German wa
tering places. France will see to it that
they patronize the French springs in
stead hereafter. English. American,
Belgian and Servian tourists in search
of a "cure" will also have the same
pressure brought to bear upon them.
Harvard Squad Is
Operating in Alsace
Elaven Jdunval, Including rormer As-
siatant Secretary of TJ. 8. Treasury,
Driving Cars In Ambulance Section.
Paris, April 17. The Harvard sec
tion of . the American ambulance corps
designated by the French military au
thorities to aid the wounded of the
French army of the Vosges is operat
ing in Alsace. This section consists
of ten ambulances, one repair car and
one pilot car, all in charge of 14 Amer
ican volunteer drivers, of whom 11
are graduates 'of Harvard university.
This group is part of a total of 80
American ambulances working along
the allies' front. These ambulances
are given by individuals or by college
groups. ' Each bears a metal plate
with the name of the donor, and a
record is kept of what each car does.
Fifteen thousand wounded men havo
been transported from the lines where
they fell to a base hospital, and the
cost has been approximately SI for
each man.
A. Piatt Andrew Jr., former assis
tant secretary of the United States
treasury, is field inspector of the
corps, and Dr. Edmund K. Gros s
chief surgeon. : The work of some of
the Sections, especially that at Dun
kirk, has 'been taken as a model
upon which ' the allies are organizing
their ambulance corps. The Americas
ambulance men are so expert in handl
ing wounded that a squad of them has
been Invited to appear before military
doctors in Paris and give instruction j
to French stretcher bearers.
Three Arrested in
London as Spies
ICen Keld by British Are Accused of
Using' invisible Ink la forwarding
Tips to Germany.
London, April 17. Three men have
been arrested and will be tried in a
civil court charged with sending mili
tary information to Germany by means
or invisible ink. The authorities in
timate that the case is one of the
gravest importance. One of the sus
pects, named Kuepferle, professes to
be an American.
AnotherJ Mueller, says he is a natu
ralized Englishman, while the third.
who gives the name of Hahn, does not
aeny that he is a German subject.
Kuepferle came here from the United
States, first visiting Dublin and then
coming to London, where he is said
to have been waiting passage across
the channel. ,
'
Composer Debussy
Hearkens to Bugle
Bays Only Maaio Today Wits meal
, Significance Xs That CalUmr Man to
Wgnt ; for Country.
Paris,,: April 17. That musicians
should be silent in war . time is the
opinipn of the famous composer De
bussy, declares 'Excelsior, to whose
representative Debussy said:
"It is a long time since my fingers
touched 'a piano. The greatest artist
now is the man who knows best how
to bring down ! the Boches. The only
music today, with real significance is
that of the bugle. No peaceful musi
cian should dare to compete with it.
THE OREGON SUNDAY JOURNAL, PORTLAND, ! SUNDAY MORNING,
NEWS FROM: FOREIGN
,' --4 ftm&s - - ar:tii,- I "I
Wcx-v' f-' Y'',A f
Top, left to right Two German soldiers in East Prussian region occupy an old wagon abandoned by the Russians. A factory build
ing In the' suburbs of Paris wrecked by a bomb dropped from a Zeppelin. Bottom German soldiers In Poland engaged in trench
building operations, pause for their noonday meal.
HUNGARY BLAMED FOR
HIGH COST OF LIVING
BY MAYOR OF
Declares That Food Supplies
Were Withheld and Unjust
Prices Demanded,
Vienna, April 17. Burgomaster Weis
kirchner of Vienna has criticised Hun
gary, Italy and Koumania for with
holding food supplies from the people
of this city. Some of the most em
phatic parts of a recent address were
as follows:
"In anticipation of coming events I
began buying flour for the community
in August last year. We bought 2,000,
000 crowns ($400,000) worth. In all
we paid 15,000,000 crowns ($3,000,000)
for food supplies.
'ay Sonmanlans, Get Wo Orain.
"The fact that I was not able to re
alize various projects was not my
fault, but the fault of our neutral
neighbors. We bought several thou
sand carloads of grain' in Rou mania,
but we have not received a single car
load of it. The Roumanians took our
money, but up to this time they have
Kept tne gram in their own country.
"Here is an example of our difficul
ties "We bought 200 carloads of beans at
a fair price in Roumania, but they
could not be delivered immediately be
cause of the lack of freight cars. Now
Roumania has put a tax of 3000 francs
gold ($600) on every carload, so It
would cost us 600.000 francs ($120,000)
to get our 200 cars out.
"We bought wheat as early as Sep
tember In the United States and good
fortune accompanied the cargo ship,
which reached the harbor t of Genoa
without being stopped. Italy, however,
denied passage for the wheat intended
for Vienna and sold it in the harbor.
As It happened we made ' 4 lire (8
cents) on each hectoliter (2.8 bushels),
but we are not. here to make money
when we need wheat and flour. l.
Hungary Puts TXp Pries. I
"Even the flour bought in Hungary
for Vienna remains undelivered. We
and the people of Hungary are carry
ing on a supposedly common war; now
the time has come for Hungary to
yield us some of her supplies. Even
in times of peace we are dependent on
Hungary for our flour and grain. Are
the prices so severe? Thank God. the
community of Vienna is able to requi
sition old corn at 24 crowns ($4.80) a
hectoliter. - That constitutes our pres
ent supply. Do you luow -what Hun-
VIENNA
'9
if Zi't
French Estimate
Germany Losses
Say 31,376 Officers Are Killed, Wounded
or Missing More than Half of Or.
lginal Army in Xtist.
Paris, April 17. The press bureau
of the war office gave out figures,
compiled from official German lists
of losses of officers. These show, th
press bureau says, that of a total
number of 480 generals in times of
peace, 43 have been killed and 57 are
wounded or missing.
"Out of 83,154 infantry officers, 8604
have been killed, and 18,149 have L'een
wounded or are missing, " the an
nouncement says further.
"Out of 7063 cavalry officers, 366
have been killed, 881 have been
wounded or are missing.
"Out of 12.108 artillery officers, 912
have been killed and 2264 have been
wounded or are missing.
"The 'grand total of officers of the
German army at the beginning of the
war. Including men in the active ser
vice, reserve and Landwehr, was 62,
805, out of which, up to March 15,
9925 have been killed, and 21.351 have
been wounded or are missing-. This
makes the total of losses 31,276.
"This shows that the grand total of
losses among the officers of the Ger
man army is more than half their
number on the day of the declaration
of war."
Mrs. Pankhurst Is
Not for Peace Now
London. April 17.-I-Mrs. Emmeline
Pankhurst announced that the
Women's Social and; Political union
and the other suffrage-organizations
In Great Britain and France had de
cided not to participate in the forth
coming women's conference at The
Hague to consider the question of
peace. '. . '
In this connection tbe British' mili
tant leader said : "This movement is
well meaning, but mistaken. Those
running this conference have no
political influence. Pro-Germans are
working hard in this direction here
and in neutral countries and much
German money has been circulated in
America, but this is not the time to
talk peace." .
gary asks us? Forty-six ? crown!
($9.20). . ' ' ... "..
"It is a question which touches the
very hearts of Vienna people. Hun
gary must give us a supply from what
she does not need and at a price that
may be regarded as i respectable be
tween sister states.. If Hungary gives
us what we need out of . her super
abundant quantity, then, according to
my estimate, we shall nave enough."
3 1
Germany May Let
' Austria Quit War
Opinion Prevails at Borne Tnat Tenton
nations Plan to End Conflict With
out Humiliation to Berlin.
Rome, April 17. Despite repeated
denials the conviction still prevails
here that Austria possibly will con
clude a separate peace with the allies.
According to the terms of the Austro
German alliance concluded in 1879 a
separate peace is allowed when one of
the contracting parties is powerless to
aid the other and is obliged to use its
entire army in defense of its own fron
tiers. , If the Russians succeed in invading
Hungary the German troops there pre
sumably will be withdrawn and rushed
back to defend the German frontiers,
leaving Austria free to sue for peace
with the implied consent of Germany.
The only drawback to the conclusion
of a separate peace by Austria is that
it will virtually amount to a confession
that both Germany and Austria are
completely beaten and unable to make
further resistance. A direct admission,
it is thought here, will never be made
by Germany even when entirely ex
hausted, but Austria's withdrawal
from the war may give Germany an
opportunity to make peace at the same
time.
This eventuality is regarded as pos
sible, when the Dardanelles is forced,
and as the only means by which Ger
many and Austria can be saved from
continuing the war until they are ex-
hausted and crushed. Pope Benedict
is said to take this view of the situa
tion, for which' reason he has urged
both the kaiser and Emperor Francis
Joseph to ponder well before assuming
the responsibility of continuing the
war after they are convinced that vic
tory is impossible, as prolonged resist
ance' will be worse than useless and
will perhaps lead to annihilation.
War Takes Barrie's
David of Peter Pan
XTovalisVa Adopted Son, Original of
"Tne rattle Whita Bird," Bias with
. Porces in Flanders.
London, April 17. The original
David of "The Little White Bird," (Sir
James M. Barrie's story that led to the
creation of Peter Pan) has been killed
in action in Flanders. He was Lieu
tenant George LI well yn Da vies of the
Rifle Brigade, the adopted son of the
novelist 'i '
Once he collaborated with his foster
father to the extent of suggesting a
line in Little Mary, which was adopted,
and for that line be reecived a royalty
of one cent for every production of
the play-, Davies' mother also figured
in some of Sir Jame s books.
APRIL 18. :1915.
CAPITALS
v
E
IS
CONCERN OVER JAPAN
IN CHINA AND ORIENT
Okuma's Effort to Allay Ap
prehension Concerning De
mands on Pekin Fails,
London, April 17. In an interview
at Tokio, Count Okuma, the Japanese
premier, is at pains to tell what Japjn
is not requiring of China, but is silent
as to the nature of the actual demands.
To this attitude the Daily News takes
exception in an editorial, asserting hatf
until such a revelation Is made uneasi
ness In this country will continue.
Count Okuma asserts that, German
intrigue nas been employed to spread
broadcast an exaggerated idea of what
Japan Is demanding of China. He de
clares that "Japan is asking only what
China has already granted Germany,"
and asserts that "Japan's proposals
are in complete accordance with the
Anglo-Japanese alliance, as well as
treaties with other countries guaran
teeing eaual onnortunl t v in Phina and
the integrity of that country."
. Daily Vewa Asks Questions.
Japan, says the premier, seeks no
monopoly in China, does not aim to in
fringe the rights or interests of other
powers, has not demanded the appoint
ment of Japanese advisers, does not
seek to create a protectorate, and has
not demanded a Joint policy except at
points in South Manchuria threatened
by lawlessness.
Taking these negative assertions as
a text, the Daily News says:
"The only comment possible on this
declaraion is. Why are these final dis
closures delayed? What object can the
Japanese government have in submit
ting quietly to a campaign of calumny
when the- demands from which this
campaign springs are thus wholly rea
sonable and moderate? If it is possible
to state thus categorically what these
demands do not contain, why should it
be impossible to inform the world as
to what they do contain?-
Wants to Be "Shown."
. "Everyone, in this country at least,
is wijling and even anxious to put the
best possible interpretations on Japan's
activities. - If it could be shown, as to
Judge from Count Okuma's statement,
it only " requires 'the publication of tis
reaJ terms oj" the proposed treaty to
show that Japan's aims in these nego-
tiatlons have been totally misrepresent -
ea, the news would undoubtedly be
NGLAND
SHOWING
TYPHUS WINS OVER SERBIAN DOCTORS
ENGLAND NOW WORRIES ABOUT CHINA
DEAD ALLOWED TO LIE ONBURIED FOR DAYS'
IN SERBIAN CAMP ESTABLISHED NEAR NISH
FOR AUSTRIAN SOLDIERS TAKEN PRISONERS
Representative of the British Red Cross Society Tells of
Terrible Conditions Brought on by Disease; Doctors
Have Waged Losing Fight Against Dreafr Typhus,
By Captain E. N. Bennett,
Commissioner in Serbia for the British
Red Cross Society.
Nish, Serbia. "April 17 Here is the
picture of an AusVian prisoners' camp.
This is not a hospital, remember, but
simply an area where 750 Austrians
have been collected. Nevertheless, dis
ease has fallen like a blight upon the
camp. At an earlier date one doctor
was in charge of this camp, but he
is now struck down by typhus. Ty
phus, dysentery, smallpox, diphtheria,
have swept over the place. Last week
only 20 men out of 750 could stand
on their feet.
There they lie' in utter wretched
ness. The bulk of the sickymen are
stretched out on jthe muddy - ground.
Their clothes are foul and alive with
ths vermin which spread the deadly
typhus. The silence of the camp is
broken only by signs and groans, but
when a stranger comes in sight, the
sick raise themselves on their elbows,
if they can, and I cry pittifully, "For
,the love of God, lady, give us water."
Bead Lit Abandoned for Says.
A recent visitor noticed a number
of recumbent forms covered with great
coats, and found! on removing these
that five out of the number were al
ready dead and had been dead for sev
eral days. There; was nobody to re
move the corpses. Here and there
some poor wretch crawled about on his
bands and knees 1 to fetch a cup of
water to a prostrate comrade. This
was all the "attendance" which was
visible, and the-shocking condition of
the men and the ground on whlcn
tney He can be Imagined.
Can anyone be surprised to learn
that some 60 men die in this camp
every day. j
Here is an English hospital which
has tried to do the impossible and
failed. Six doctors and 12 orderlies-
they had no nurses took over the
control of some 1800 sick and wounded.
' Doctors Beaten by Typhus.
They have fought a gallant fight
against terrific odds, but typhus has
beaten them. At this moment two or
derlies are dead, three have been in
valided home, and three are now laid
low by typhus; two doctors are suf
fering from the "same disease, and
one has gone home. Three doctors
and Jhree orderlies are all that remain
very warmly welcomed in England,
but so long as the proposals themselves
remain screened behind a veil of offi
cial secrecy It is 'quite Impossible to
allay the uneasiness that has been
aroused. It Is difficult to imagine
any solid compensating advantage
which Japan can hop to gain from
persistence in a silence which is un
doubtedly doing her injury."
Consulate 1 Swampied
By Flood of Claims
: . - : - - - . e .
London, April 17. Because of the
great number of claims against the
British government arising from the
detention of American cargoes, - the
staff of the American consul general
in London .has been Increased from
nine to 26 persona. Consul General
Skinner is now arranging for an office
in which there shall be -established a
special department of claims, together
with a further increased staff for the
speedy preparation of the scores of
cases submitted every day. '
The definite announcement In the
American note of the purpose to seek
damages for interference with Amer
lean trade merely puts in concrete
form the policy of protecting Amer
ican shippers which has been followed
by American consular officials since
Great Britain began detaining vessels.
' France Expels Swiss Writer. 7
Paris. April 17, The ministry of
the Interior, the Matin says, has issued
a decree of expulsion against the Swiss
newspaper man, Edward Bebrens, who
is charged with taking. advantage of
his neutral nationality to act as Paris
1 correspondent of s the Berlin Lokal
I Ansel ger. 1
on the active list, and the work of the
hospital has had to be temporarily
abandoned. What could six doctors do
with 1800 men? j
Worse still are the conditions under
which the Serbian doctors ! hava la
bored. The poor Austrian prisoner,
the only assistants the doctors have
there are no Uerbian nurscs-do thair
best, but tbey are not trained order
lies. Take a large Serbian hospital
which I know, It is practically im
possible to go near it, so overpower
ing is the stench in the street outalda
that nobody who is not compelled te
approach the building can bear to ba
in its vicinity. j
Details Are Unprintable.- -
Details of the interior cannot well
be printed, but they may ba conject
ured when one mentions that foul rags
and dressings and even portions of
amputated limbs are thrown over a
wall and left to the attention of crow
and magpies and parish dogs, Similar
refuse has been thrown Into the river.
Since the commencement of the war
63 Serbian doctors have died in th
course of their unequal struggle with
disease. One young man of 22, m. med
ical student, has died within a stone's
throw of my window. Two Brltlah
nurses volunteered to nurse him, but
it was too late. Before their arrival
he was nursed by nobody except a
little Serbian maidservant, j and laet
Friday night he escaped In delirium
there was nobody to look after him
and was later found lying on the mud.
dy road in the bitter cold.
Kesnlts of Overcrowding.
8o terrible have been the results of
this overcrowding that it seems doubt
ful whether in the long run more lives
may not be lost than gained by at
tempting the Impossible. Had hos
pitals now containing 300 men refused
admission to more than 100 and. taken
jvery precaution that experience and
science furnished against dirt and ver
min and polluted air, the results actu
ally achieved by medical effort, mlgni
have been better. j ; .
But what of the 200 men excluded?
No man, doctor or layman, can lsav
ai helpless soldier lying in the street.
In heaven's name let someUitng be
done soon, for if the almoat Inevita
ble cholera; of the warmer months falls
upon us under existing, conditions ths
prospect before us is indeed frightful.
Presses Claims of
Stranded Citizens
Consul General Skinner Comes to the
Bescue of Penniless Muleteers and
Horse Tenders In London.
London. April 17. As a result of
the activity of Consul-Genera! Robert
P. Skinner in pressing the claima of
American muleteers and horse tender
left stranded in England and French
ports by steamship lines, there has
been a decided decrease within the la t
three weeks in the number of Ameri
cans left penniless through the sharp
practice of ships' officers and unscru
pulous shipping agents in America.
The steamer Sestrlan of the Leyland
line recently left about 33 American
workmen stranded of about 125 she
brought over. The steamahlp companv
disclaimed responsibility, saying it had
lived up to its contract with the men
in every way. The line provides th
men with return passage, however.
In several recent- cases Ignorant
workmen, many of whom are negro,
have been shipped by American agents,
who induced them to sign papers say
ing they had positions In Europe.
War Romance at the Front.
Parts, April 17. The fact that the
labor of caring for French wounded
had not prevented the development of
a romance in the American ambulance
service became known when Carroll
Oreenough of New York, attached to
the ambulance at Neuilly, married, in
the ambulance chapel. Miss Margaret
Virginia Greble, daughter of. Edwin
Greble of Pasadena, Cal., who In
charge of the special diet kitchen con
nected with the ambulance.